1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a fabric hat that is usable as such by a child and is also convertible into a flying play object that can be thrown and caught in the manner of a Frisbee, the fabric hat being so packaged that it can be tried on without removing the hat from its package.
2. Status of Prior Art
My prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,382 (Spector) discloses a pneumatic play ball having an outer casing formed of non-stretchable fabric material which when fully expanded assumes a ball configuration. Within the casing is an inflatable balloon whose stem initially projects through a small port in the casing. When the balloon is inflated, it expands to engage and conform to the inner surface of the casing, after which the stem is tied and pushed within the port whereby the balloon is then fully encased.
Balloon balls of the type disclosed in my prior patent have a form which is strictly utilitarian, and the flight characteristics of these balls are not very different from conventional light-weight or weighted balls. And while it is possible for the thrower to impart a spin to a conventional ball so that it rotates in the course of its flight, one cannot usually see this spin.
In my copending application Ser. No. 840,022, there is disclosed a flying toy missile formed by an outer fabric casing that encloses a rubber balloon which is inflated with water or with air and water so that it then functions as a weighted ball, the casing having fabric appendages. When a player grasps this missile by one or more of its appendages and then throws it, the missile will spin or execute other movements in flight.
Also of prior art interest is the well-known FRISBEE toy, which is a plastic disc that can be thrown and caught by players, the disc spinning in the course of flight.
Children have always been fascinated by so-called unidentified flying objects or UFO's which often take the form of saucer-shaped objects that descend to earth from outer space. But a conventional Frisbee does not resemble a flying object from outer space.
While a hat for a child is seemingly unrelated to a play piece, a child who takes a ball, a Frisbee or a flying toy of some sort to a beach or play area, is well advised on a hot, sunny day to wear a broad brimmed hat to protect his head from the sun. A fabric hat for this purpose is preferred, for it can be rolled up or crushed and stored in a pocket. Since the fewer things a child carries to the beach or a play area, the fewer he is likely to lose, a fabric hat which is convertible to a flying object has distinct advantages; for while a child can toss his hat in the air, there is not much fun in doing so.
A purchaser for a toy for a child normally wishes to examine the toy before deciding whether to buy it. While the box in which the toy is packaged usually carries a picture of the toy, this picture does not give a potential purchaser adequate information, for he has no assurance that what is contained in the box exactly corresponds to the pictured toy. Yet because of the possibility of theft, it is not good practice for a toy retail establishment to stock unpackaged toys which potential purchasers are free to examine.
In order to facilitate examination, toy packages are now available having open fronts which permit a customer to view and touch the toy which is entrapped within the package so that the toy cannot be removed. And with smaller toys, use is now made of so-called bubble packaging, such as a display card which can be suspended from a hook, the toy being enclosed within a transparent plastic bubble bonded to the card. This makes it possible to view the toy without having to remove it from its package.
However, a novelty hat for a child which is to be sold in a toy store presents a special problem; for even if the hat is packaged in a box having a transparent plastic window, it is not possible for a child to try on the hat to see whether it fits his head without first removing it from its package. And this he is not free to do without first purchasing the hat.